Comics With Female Leads

20 Awesome Comics With Female Leads Who Will Kick Your Ass

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The comic book industry has seen immense growth in the past 15 years, much of it spurred by female readers, who constitute the fastest growing demographic of comic fans. This is great news for an industry with a history of sexism and misogynistic undertones in much of its art, and a sign that its recent outreach to female fans — mostly through a slew of female-led sagas — has been successful. There’s always room for improvement, of course, but the popularity of Ms. Marvel, Batgirl, Thor (the Jane Foster edition) and Saga are clear signs of success.

To help you discover these new titles, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best reads out there with compelling women at the helm. But that’s not all: these women should inspire and excite you while taking you through some groundbreaking and edge-of-your-seat narratives.

Young Avengers

Marvel

Artist Jamie McKelvie and writer Kieron Gillen can do no wrong in creating young, brash and relevant pop cultural additions to the comics sphere. Young Avengers is where we get to see some of their best characterization, particularly with Kate Bishop as the other Hawkeye and America Chavez as Miss America. Both women are hilariously personable, but quickly remind you why they’re the best at what they do. Sorry other Hawkeye.$34.99 at Amazon.com

Spider Gwen

Marvel

If you’re anything like me, there’s nothing that bores you more than a Spider-Man origin story. But Spider Gwen makes an exception, as her origins take place in an alternate continuity. In this tale, Gwen Stacy is bit by a radioactive spider instead of Peter Parker. Aside from Gwen’s awesome cosplay friendly costume, the book has a lot of what-ifs embedded in its narratives. For example, what if Peter Parker becomes a villain in this universe? Yea, add this to your pull list stat!$3.10 at Amazon.com

Black Canary (2015)

DC Comics

Black Canary’s got one heck of a voice — and when she’s not using her sonic soundwaves to dismantle her foes, she’s rocking out on stage in her new band. But Dinah, in typical rock ‘n roll fashion, only seems to attract trouble, and it’s up to her to save herself and her bandmates from villainous peril. Whether it’s on the stage or in a good ol’ fashioned brawl, Dinah maintains her bite and reminds readers why she’s one of DC’s best vigilante heroines. And did I mentioned she has a band?$2.99 at BarnesandNoble.com

She-Hulk

Marvel

Jennifer Walter is She-Hulk, attorney at law, and member of the Avengers and Fantastic Four. Though Jennifer handles her mean green abilities better than her cousin, Bruce, it’s no easy task juggling a law office and superheroics, particularly when her new client happens to be the son of Doctor Doom. Between handling an intellectual property theft suit against Tony Stark and battling Doombots, She-Hulk doesn’t take itself so seriously, inviting readers to a front row seat of her legal-but-action-packed circus. Fun, thrilling and a must have for even the most casual of comic readers.$18.50 at Amazon.com

Prez

DC Comics

Prez introduces us to a dystopian world where the poor are used as human billboards and drones are used for taco consumption (doesn’t sound that far fetched, does it?). Prez is the tale of 19 year old Twitter sensation Beth Ross, who’s elected as the next President in 2036. The book is drenched in satire, in a similar vein to the Hunger Games, making social commentary on spectatorship, government corruption and America’s cesspool of pop culture antics. It’s a beautiful but frightening caricature of the “free-world.”$14.99 at Amazon

Gotham Academy

DC Comics

Olive Silverlock attends the most prestigious school in Gotham, Gotham Academy. Of course GA is unlike any other school, filled with an assortment of mysteries and unexplained phenomena. Olive and her schoolmates work together to solve various mysteries (such as her newfound phobia of bats) and encounter some of Gotham’s shadiest characters along the way. Gotham’s tales have been narrated by the same voices for quite some time, and this book does an excellent job of breathing new life into the city, making you fall in love with Gotham and its peculiar inhabitants all over again.$10.96 at Amazon.com

Wonder Woman

DC Comics

Amazonian, Princess, Warrior and a founding member of the Justice League, Wonder Woman has held her mantle as one of the best superheroines in existence. Diana’ s evolution has transformed her from a messenger of peace to a literal god of war. Some fans are on the fence if this warrior Diana is worth keeping, but Wonder Woman’s stories are thought-provoking, gory and twisted in their own way. It’s worth judging for yourself if this book’s for you.$9.50 at Amazon.com

Captain Marvel

Marvel

Carol Danvers has one of the most complex and impressive histories in the Marvel canon. Her ties to S.H.I.E.L.D., the Avengers and the Marvel universe at large make for some of the most unique character interactions (e.g her influence on Kamala Khan and being the source of Rogue’s flight and super strength abilities). But in her current narratives, we get to see Carol on both a galactic scale (there’s some Guardians of the Galaxy add-ins) as well as working as an extension of the U.S. Government. An ace pilot, and an even heavier hitting heroine, Carol is the type of superwoman you can get behind. Check her out her before she hits the big screen in 2017.$14.21 at Amazon.com

Saga

Image Comics

Saga is another indie comic that’s received cult status for good reason. Along with its “space opera meets Romeo + Juliet” vibes, Saga features Alana and Marko, two star crossed lovers from warring planets, and their unborn child as the protagonist, Hazel. A series as epic as this has a plethora of well-rounded characters to pull from, but Alana works as an iron grit heroine, fiercely protecting her family from every manner of foe the galaxy can produce. She’s the literal interpretation of a soldier of love, and you’d be silly not to witness her in action, but you’d be even sillier to cross her.$5.76 at Amazon.com

Buffy The Vampire Slayer

Dark Horse Comics

A recount of badass women-led titles wouldn’t be authentic without some slayer action. Buffy doesn’t require much explanation here, but what fans loved so much about the series continues in the comic. The cheeky quips, characteristic Buffy snark and a catalogue of demonic foes are enough to give you a headache. What’s more, every so often, Joss Whedon and various Buffy TV series writers will pen a story for the comics.$17.65 at Amazon.com

X-Men (2013)

Marvel

X-Men has always a featured a dynamic roster of powerful women, but never before has there been a sanctioned all-female lineup. Led by mistress of the elements, Storm, the team is overflowing with mutant talent, including: Rogue, Jubilee, Psylocke, Rachel Grey and Kitty Pryde. With so many femme fatales in one lineup, discord is bound to happen, but between Olivier Coipel’s fluid pencils and writer Brian Wood’s X-cellent characterization, this dream team is bound to become an obsessive read.$12.84 at Amazon.com

Moonshot: The Indigenous Collection (2015)

Alternate History Comics

This anthology of indigenous storytelling features an incredible roundup of fierce female protagonists, while inviting the reader into a world of beautiful mythos and featuring spirits, cunning animals and the humans that encounter them. This collection is an unprecedented one in the comic space. Never before have readers experienced a collection of indigenous comic stories to this extent. Some of the stand-out additions include the eerie inhuman tale of The Quallupiluk: Forgiven, a mysterious entity that takes the form of a 9 year old girl, and an excerpt from Vision Quest: Echo that includes Echo, the indigenous, Latin and deaf vigilante from the Daredevil series. The collection is ripe with stories for fans of all ages and provides an amazing introduction to the world of indigenous narratives. $19.99 at Amazon.ca

DC Bombshells (2015)

DC Comics

Based off the popular DC collectibles, Bombshell showcases DC’s finest during the World War 2 era. The women of Gotham are holding down the fort with the help of a baseball pinup Batwoman (as the men are away for the war), while Supergirl struggles to hide her abilities as a Soviet fighter pilot. And then there’s Wonder Woman, fiercely protecting Theymsicara from an aerial attack. It’s an impactful story of woman-power, placing our heroines in some not-so heroic circumstances, embedded in a re-telling of a golden age of heroics. Beautifully illustrated by Marguerite Sauvage and written by Marguerite Bennett, the comic spins an alternate reality worthy of mainstream continuity.Pre-order for $15.29 at Amazon.com

Harley Quinn: Volume 1 (2014)

DC Comics

Harley is undoubtedly a pop culture monolith in her own right. Heck, she’s the reason so many fanboys are waiting with baited breath for the new Suicide Squad film, so it was only a matter of time before Harley got her own book under the New 52. Like a loose canon, Harley has her way with the DC universe, encountering some notable colleagues such as Powergirl, Poison Ivy and the Dark Knight himself, Mr. Bats. It’s fun to see Harley wreak havoc, and if nothing else, pumps readers for her appearance next year in Suicide Squad.$14.02 at Amazon.com

Sex Criminals

Image Comics

It doesn’t a take super sleuth to realize this book may have some NSFW content, but what it lacks in modesty it makes up for in originality, sharp humor, and believably awesome characters in unbelievable circumstances. Suzie, a librarian, and Jon, an actor, meet at a party, only to hook up shortly afterwards. To their disbelief, they’ve discovered they share the ability to freeze time when they orgasm. Together they use their orgasmic new abilities to rob a bank. While this books features a male and female lead, it deserves recognition for taking sex, a tool used against women often in the world of comics, and using it to promote a sex-positive character in Lizzie, literally giving her supernatural abilities. Illustrated by Chip Zdarsky and written by Matt Fraction, Sex Criminals is guaranteed to be unlike any book you’ve read.$6.55 at Amazon.com

Wicked+Divine (Volumes 1 & 2)

Image Comics

Like A-Force, The Wicked+The Divine is an ensemble cast book packed with literal goddesses that inspire, love, destroy and create in a world where fandom is the core of pop culture, much like our own. The gods are reanimated every 90 years as various pop star archetypes. Following the protagonist, Laura, a 17 year old fan girl who encounters the pantheon, Wic+Div beautifully ties adolescence with its known infatuation of pop influences. This culminated with the intelligent mythos and beautiful storytelling makes it one of the most acclaimed indie comic book series on shelves. $6.09 at Amazon.com

Ms. Marvel

Marvel

Ms. Marvel is undoubtedly one of our personal favorites in this lineup. In a space where comics rarely delve into Muslim characters, Ms. Marvel is a welcomed addition. Kamala has the life of a standard Pakistani-American teenager, until she’s imbued with shape-shifting abilities. A fan living in a world of Marvel titans, Kamala responds to her new abilities in the most human way possible: she instantly doubts herself, making her instantly relatable. Fighting crime while taking selfies with Wolverine, Kamala is sincere, bubbly and writes some pretty amazing fan fiction. She’s a rising star in the Marvel pantheon, and represents a younger but savvier age of heroines.$12.95 at Amazon.com

A-Force

Marvel

A Force is still relatively new, but if you’re looking for a book packed with girl power, it’s pretty damn impressive. Set in the throes of the current Secret Wars Story arc, A-Force sees a dream team of all-women superheroes including Captain Marvel, Medusa and America Chavez from the Young Avengers, keeping the paradise island of Arcadia safe. Lead by Baroness She-Hulk, the super team discovers foul play at the hands of Dr. Doom, which leads to inevitable mystery solving and some epic throwdowns. It’s like the Avengers, an all-star roster packed with some of your superhero faves, but easy on the bro-ish vibes and amplified woman power.$12.96 at Amazon.com

Thor

Marvel

Whosoever holds this hammer, if he be worthy, shall possess the power of Thor” — so the saying goes. But this time around the mystical hammer mjolnir is wielded by a goddess of Thunder, the new Thor, Jane Foster. Created by Marvel super-team, writer Jason Aaron and artist Russell Dauterman, the goddess of Thunder has had a plethora of impressive feats, including winning a battle with the original Thor for the right to wield mjolnir. To avoid spoilers, it’s safe to say Thor’s story becomes a lot more grounded. If nothing else she proves that women are just as capable of taking on these epic mantles, destroying a Frost Giant by deploying lightning charges into his head...from the inside out. Need I say more?$16.55 at Amazon.com

Rat Queens

Image Comics

Rat Queens takes from fantasy RPG archetypes and employs them as rat-pack maidens for hire. The said group features: Dee, the introverted atheist cleric; Betty the jovial halfling thief; Violet the Dwarven hipster (who shaved her beard before it became cool) and Hannah, the snarky head mage in charge. The end result is nothing short of a medieval romp filled with troll battling, bar brawls, magic and a healthy dose of booze and drugs. The girls, all uniquely personable, make for incredible additions to the comic space. You want to hang with these women, even if they’re getting arses kicked at the hands of dark magic.$8.79 at Amazon.com

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